Briefly

Help for SMEs to counter epidemic woes

China's banking and insurance regulator on Thursday pledged continued efforts to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) overcome coronavirus-related challenges and take the country's reform and opening-up in the financial sector to a deeper level. A spokesperson for the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said the commission will fully implement policies such as allowing SMEs to delay the repayment of capital and interest. It will also guide major banks in meeting the target of achieving growth in their lending to SMEs of more than 40 percent.

German charter lands in Shanghai

A charter flight carrying German company executives and their families arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Thursday. The flight from the European nation carrying over 200 passengers was organized by the German Chamber of Commerce in China. It was the first business charter flight carrying foreigners that landed in Shanghai in more than two months, indicating the resumption of foreign-related commercial activities in China after the COVID-19 epidemic began to ease.

Bus maker sees declining sales

Chinese bus manufacturer Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co Ltd has reported a decline in sales in May. Yutong sold 3,554 buses in May, down 24 percent year-on-year. In the January-May period, it sold 11,484 buses, representing a year-on-year drop of 45 percent. The company manufactured 2,995 buses in May, down 30.5 percent from the previous year. It manufactured 11,588 buses in the first five months of the year, down 42.1 percent year-on-year.

Xinhua